Saturday, April 06, 2013

IVF-FAQs - How long should I wait in between IVF cycles ?

How long should I wait between IVF cycles ?

It depends on your physical, financial and emotional comfort. Some women find it difficult to do back-to-back IVF cycles while some women do not want to wait in between IVF cycles. Sometimes, due to ovarian hyperstimulation you might end up with cysts in your ovaries. In such cases your doctor will want you to wait until the cysts regress before starting another IVF cycle. If you have frozen embryos, you can do the cycle back to back, if you so desire. Whether you do your IVF cycles back-to-back or whether you wait , is a very personal decision. It will not affect the outcome of the IVF cycle. Your age also plays an important role in determining how long to wait between IVF cycles. As a woman ages, her fertility declines, and hence it is wise not to wait too long before proceeding with another IVF cycle.

How long should you wait after a miscarriage before undergoing another IVF cycle ?

When you get your menstrual cycle after a miscarriage, you need to wait before you are ready to start another IVF treatment . It takes some time after a miscarriage for your menstrual cycle to return. This is because the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonodotropin (HCG) needs time to drop to your pre-pregnancy level (below 5 iU). This decision also depends on your physical and emotional comfort. Taking enough time to heal physically and mentally will prevent you from feeling exhausted ! Starting an IVF cycle soon after a miscarriage , or waiting for 3 or 4 cycles will not make any difference to your next IVF outcome.

This is an excerpt from our forthcoming, book, The Expert Patient's Guide to IVF. This being authored by our expert patient, Manju and me.